Pedal-locking attachment for pianos.



No. 727,673. PATEITTED MAY 12, '1903.

A. J. NEWBY.

PEDAL LOGKIN TAO NT FOR PIANOS. D

APPLIG FILE .14. 1902.

F0 MQDEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

l/vihwooeo PATENTED MAY 12, 1903.

A. J. NEWBY. PEDAL, LOOKING ATTACHMENT FOR PIANOS.

APPLICATION FILED 0.0T.14. 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented May 12, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

PEDAL-LOCKING ATTACHMENT FOR PIANOS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 727,673, dated May 12, 1903.

Application filed October 14, 1902. Serial No. 127,216- (No model.) A

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED J. NEWBY, a citizen of the United States, residing at New, Rochelle, in the county of'Westchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pedal-Locking Attachments for Pianos, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to locking attach; ments for the pedals of pianos and similar musical instruments; and its object is to provide simple and efiective means for looking a pedal in depressed or operative position and for readily unlocking or releasing the pedal to allow it to rise to its normal or inoperative:

position.

A distinguishing characteristic of the present invention is that both the locking and unlocking of the pedal are effected by a downward pressure upon the pedal, one depression 1 operating to lock the pedal and the next to unlock it, and so on, each alternate downward movement having a reverse action upon tures will be particularly pointed out and the scope of the invention defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of the frame of a piano, showing a pedal with my improvement applied thereto. Fig.2isalongitudinalsection. Fig. 3 is a sectional view from the rear, showing the position of the pedal and the locking means as they appear when the pedal is in normal or unlocked position. Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the position of the pedal and its locking means when the'p'edal is in locked position. Fig. 5 is a view of the locking devices detached from the frame.

; Corresponding parts in all the figures are denoted by the same reference characters.

; The referencenumeral 1 designates the base,iand 2 the front, of a piano-frame, the latter being formedwith a vertically-elongated slot, through which the pedal 3 extends. The pedal is pivotally supported at its rear end upon an arbor4,eXtending between blocks 5, secured to the base 1, and the front or outer endof the pedal is normally maintained in raised position by means of a spring 6, interposed between the pedal and the base of the frame, the rear end of said spring extending between the blocks, where it is secured by screws 7 or like. means, While its forward endextends beneath the pedal and is curved upwardly and then downwardly, as shown in Fig.2.

1 8 designates a curved plate pivotally secured at the point 9 by a pivot, herein shown as a screw 9, (which is in a plane at one side of the center of the width of the slot,) to the inner side ofthe front of the frame. The pivoted plate 8 is beveled on the inner side of its lower end,;as at 10, for the purpose hereinafter ex'plained,and immediately above the beveled surface 10 a lug 11 projects, said lug being preferably struck up from the plate, as shown. To the rounded upper end 12 of the curved plate is pivoted a catch device, comprising .a pendent plate 13, notched or cut away on the inner side of its lower end to form a horizontal shoulder 14, under which the pedal is adapted to engage. A lug 15 projects from the upper end of the catch-plate 13 to serve as a stop for the upper portion of a counterbalance -arm 16, said arm being loosely supported at its upper end upon the pivot 17 of the catch-plate. The counterbalance-arm is provided at its upper end with a rounded head. 18, through which the pivot extends, and the underedge' of said arm is hollowed out to adapt it to rest upon the stoplug 15. The lower portion of the'arm16 is transversely enlarged'and rounded on its under surface to adapt it to rest upon the lug 11 of the plate 8 with little friction. As clearly shown in the drawings, the pedal 3 extends between the plate 8 and the catchplate 13, and the utility and'operation of the mechanism will now be explained.

Normally the pedal 3 is in the position shown in Fig. 3, and the plates 8 and 13 are separated or moved apart, as also shown in Fig. 3, the raised position of the pedal being maintained by the upward pressure of the spring 6'. lVhen the pedal is depressed against the tension of the spring sufficieutly to bring the upper surface of the pedal below the horizontal plane of the shoulder 14 of the catchplate, the lower end of said plate moves toward the pedal, bringing the shoulder 14 over the pedal, and the upward pressure of the spring holds the pedal in firm engagement with the shoulder, thus locking the pedal in its depressed position. The inward swinging movement of' the catch-plate is caused by the fact that when said plate is in the position shown in Fig. 3 it is held out of its normal vertical pendent position by the contact therewith of the pedal; but as soon as the pedal is depressed the lower end of the catch-plate swings inward by gravity. As soon as the pedal catches under the shoulder of the catch-plate the tension of the spring 6 causes the pedal to exert an upward pressure upon the said shoulder, thus raising said plate.

and causing the curved plate 8 to swing upon its pivot 9 by reason of the fact that the upper end of the catch-plate is connected to the upper end of the curved plate. This tilting movement of the plate 8 throws its lower end inward, bringing its beveled surface 10 against the adjacent edge of the pedal. The parts are then in the position shown in Fig. 4, and the pedal is locked. To release the pedal, a further depression of it is necessary, and as soon as the upward pressure against the shoulder 14 is relieved the catch-plate is swung outward by the weight of the counterterbalance-arm 16 acting upon the lug 15. The pedal is thus released, and in its upward movement it contacts with the inclined surface 10, thus restoring the parts to the position shown in Fig. 3. It will be seen that both the locking and unlocking of the pedal are accomplished by a downward pressure thereon, and the simple devices shown constitute both locking and releasing mechanisms.

The improvement is particularly adapted for use in connection with the mute-pedals of pianos, which may thus be locked and maintained in operative position to silence the strings of the instrument and released at will; but the device is of course not restricted to use with mute-pedals, but includes all adaptations of which it is capable and also includes all such modifications and variations in details as may fallwithin the scope and purview of the following claims.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination with the pedal of a musical instrument, of means operated by a downward pressure of the pedal for locking and unlocking the pedal.

2. The combination with the pedal of a mu sical instrument, of means operated by a downward pressure of the pedal to lock the pedal, and by the next successive downward pressure of the pedal to release the pedal.

3. The combination with the pedal ofa musical instrument, of locking and unlocking means comprising a catch-plate under which the pedal engages, a pivoted beveled plate adapted to be swung by the upward movement of the pedal, and a counterbalance for effecting the release of the pedal when the latter is depressed.

4. The combination with the pedal of a musical instrument, of locking and unlocking means, comprising two oppositely-swinging pivoted plates, one of which is formed with a shoulder to engage the upper surface of the pedal, a pivoted counterbalance-arm, and stops on said plates against which said arm bears.

5. The combination with the pedal of a musical instrument, of locking and unlocking means therefor, comprising two oppositelyswinging plates pivotally secured together, one of said plates having a shoulder to engage the pedal, a counterbalance-arm pivotally secured upon the pivot of the plates, and stops projecting from said plates against which said arm is adapted to bear.

6. The combination with the pedal of amusical instrument, of locking and unlocking means therefor, comprising a pendent catch plate formed with a shoulder to engage the pedal, a curved plate pivotally secured to the pendent catch-plate and having a beveled surface against which the pedal is adapted to bear, a counterbalance-arm pivoted upon the pivot of the plates, and stops projecting from the plates to receive the contact of said arm.

7. The combination with the pedal of a musical instrument, of locking and unlocking means pivotally supported within the path of movement of the pedal, and so arranged with relation to the latter that each alternate depression of the pedal will cause a reverse action upon the pedal to lock or unlock the same.

8. The combination with the frame of a musical instrument formed with a slot through which the pedal extends, of locking and unlocking means, comprising a pendent catchplate formed with a shoulder to engage the pedal, a curved plate pivotally secured to the frame at a point to one side of the central vertical plane of the pedal, and pivotally connected to the catch-plate, a counterbalancearm secured to the pivotal connection of the a counterbalance-arm pivotally supported on plates, and stops against which said arm is the pivotal connection of the plates, and stops adapted to bear. projecting from said plates.

9. The combination Withtheframe of a mu- In testimony whereof I have signed my 5 sical instrument formed with a slot through name in the presence of the subscribing wit- 15 which the pedal extends, of a spring-pressed nesses.

pedal, and locking and unlocking means com- ALFRED J. NEWBY. prising a curved plate pivoted to the inner Witnesses: side of the front of the frame, a pendent F. O. MCOLEARY,

1o catch-plate pivoted to said curved plate, and J. O. PYBAS. 

